What Does the Fox Say? Momonashi and "Kitsune Show"

I think that had I continued my never-really-started music career, I would have been a bassist.  I've always been impressed by those who play bass in bands.  They provide an essential yet often overlooked function.  Lead guitarists are all flash and pyrotechnics.  They grind the ax like nobody's business, laying down riffs and blistering solos night after night, winning the accolades of critics and audience members alike.  They have their pick of the girls (or boys, in some cases).  Drummers lay down the beat and help keep the pace and time of the song, and they are allowed a few times a concert their own flashy solos.  Lead singers, well, they are the eye candy of the concert, and also get their pick of the girls (or boys, as the case may be).  But bassists?  They lay back, putting down the foundation of the music in the bass line, and just continue it in the background so that you hardly notice it is there unless you really listen for it.  They are often introverted, and seemingly at times in their own world.  They mostly don't participate in the antics on the stage, and rarely allow themselves to be thrust into the spotlight.  Of course, there are always exceptions.  Paul McCartney, Sting, and others like that who started on bass and who became leaders on stage in their own rights.  But mostly, the bassist stays in the background, sacrificing fame, fortune, and nights of companionship to put down the perfect base of each song.

I'm generalizing, of course, but I've always found it a pleasure when a bassist steps out of the shadows.  This is why I really enjoyed finding Kitsune Show by Momonashi.  Jigen, the bassist, strides forward in style and uses his bass to interpret a fox.  Momonashi is a duo made up of Jigen and vocalist Mihoco Kamimura, so the bassist is always front and center with the vocalist anyway.  Momonashi was formed in 1998, and released their first album in 2005.  After the Great Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, Momonashi went to the earthquake zone and began to perform free concerts to raise awareness and assist people affected by the quake and the tsunami.  They have performed over 100 free concerts since, and have helped establish and support relief projects.  This year, they released their fourth album.  This song, Kitsune Show (the Fox Show) is from their album Kanki (Happy Momonashi 10th Anniversary) released in 2008, and features Jigen's bass in all its glory, accompanied by a dance by Mihoco Kamimura in a fox mask.